Dufficy- Boston Celtics Logo

Logo for the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have the most well known logo in all of sports that distinguishes the success and achievement of its dynasty.

The name Celtic that is the name that is associated with the Boston team derives from Ireland. “Ireland was occupied by Celtic peoples, who came to be known as Gaels, sometime between 600 and 400 B.C.” (Rapple). The Irish-American culture in Boston is why the Boston basketball team has the name that they do. The leprechaun on the logo of the Boston Celtics represents the Irish-American culture that exists in Boston, Massachusetts. Overpopulation in Ireland from 18th to 19th century forced Irish people to leave the country. These people were forced to flee Ireland because there was not enough land to support the unskilled farm workers. As unskilled workers from Ireland immigrated to America, these people found work in textiles in major cities such as Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.

The original logo was created by Zhang Auerbach, the brother of the legendary basketball coach, and coach of the Boston Celtics, Red Auerbach in the early 1950’s. By the 1950’s, more than four million people had emigrated from Ireland to the United States, making Irish-American culture very prominent in cities like Boston.

The winking, cross-legged leprechaun spinning a basketball on his index finger signifies a devious character that is always trying to do whatever it takes to be the best. A leprechaun values its gold over everything else, the Boston Celtics value winning over everything else. In the era of the creation of the leprechaun on the logo, the Boston Celtics were one of the best teams ever with the most legendary coach in all of sports. Today, the Boston Celtics have the most national championships in basketball history with a total of 17, and from 1957 to 1969, the Boston Celtics won 11 out of 13 possible championships, distinguishing them as the most successful and prominent basketball teams of all time.

The Boston Celtics is a team of success. Their logo is a great representation of the city of Boston and the success that the Celtics have had over the years.